N.Y. has new online registration for hunter courses

ALBANY (AP) – The Department of Environmental Conservation has a new online registration system for hunter and trapper education programs that are required before getting a license.

The agency says the new system will make it easier for people to find a nearby course and sign up. The classes are free and taught by volunteers.

According to DEC, training and regulations have helped reduce the number of hunting-related shooting accidents over the years, from 137 per year in the 1960s to 30 per year since 2010. The five-year average is 4.8 incidents per 100,000 hunters, compared to 19 per 100,000 hunters in the 1960s.